


Kaiba Corp Dragons

by nyssanys



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Blue Eyes White Dragon - Freeform, Dragons, M/M, Red Eyes Black Dragon - Freeform, WARNING: drugs and alcohol, WARNING: mentions of family abuse, au where there are dragons and it's not a huge deal, dragon - Freeform, dragon fighting, dragon taming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-07-28 19:31:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7653910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyssanys/pseuds/nyssanys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jounouchi Katsuya stumbles into an illegal dragon fighting ring and ends up with a small dragon on his hands. He knows that he has to take the dragon back to Seto Kaiba but at what cost? Seto Kaiba monopolizes the dragon and dragon breeding industry in the region and enforces his rules and regulations very strictly and by this point Jounouchi has broken a few laws.  Eventual relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't posted anything here in two years--but I am working on the other fics as well! This one just wouldn't get out of my head!! Thank you for reading!

At the very top of this god forsaken world, on top of endless riches, was a man known as Seto Kaiba. He ruled everything with Kaiba Corporation and his pretty pennies, he was just shy of being the world's leader. Most people really did not know the difference anyway.

Jounouchi took a long drag on his mary jane to drown out his thoughts. Whenever he was mad, it was easy to blame god and Kaiba--but Kaiba was the god of this world so it what did it matter who he cursed? Nothing. Another drag and another wave a numb washed through his body, he didn't even feel the ember burn his fingertips as he finished off the joint. The feeling was nice--nice enough to carry off the pain from his cuts and bruises that littered his body, but not nice enough to stick around for long. The feeling would come back to his body in an hour or so. Jounouchi would eventually return home to a drunken step-mother passed out on the couch and if he were really lucky, his father would be gone or asleep. Otherwise he would return to more beatings that didn't have reasons anymore. 

Whatever. 

The night was growing colder and his mj made him feel sleepy. He'd have to brave the consequences of returning home for a bed and a shower--something this filthy back-alley would never be able to provide him. He moved to his feet, slowly, so that he wouldn't lose balance. His whole body felt like it was waking up, like a leg that had been sat on for too long. The feeling made him itch...and then wretch. He was puking again. This time is was mostly bile. Jounouchi had thrown up most of the alcohol he had earlier. He spit and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. The blonde breathed and watched the cold air carry his breath. He tucked his hands deep into his coat pockets and started his way home. 

Jounouchi was honestly too high to function: stumbling over trash cans, curbs, people. The miserable thing about all of this was he was not out of place. No one in the slums was sober or if they were, they didn't care. Everyone here had their problems that they were dealing with and wanted to escape from whether it was with sex, drugs, or alcohol they used whatever they had to get away. 

Shit. He could feel himself sobering up. The wounds were stinging, especially the ones across his face where his father broke a bottle of liquor over his head, and the bruises from being kicked in the stomach relentlessly. Fuck! They were really starting to hurt and he knew that he should go to a hospital but what would be the point. He wouldn't be able to pay them and it would be another reason for his father to beat the shit out of him. 

He lit up a cigarette and leaned against a brick wall, trying to focus on anything else. Sounds of cheering erupted from the alley next to him. It was distant, but he had a vague idea of where it was coming from. This was the distraction he was needing so he followed his ears that led him down the alley and back behind some buildings to a cellar that was open for anyone trying to get in on the show. He followed behind someone to a large room that was packed with people and smoke. He stood on a chair towards the back to get a good look at what everyone was gathered around. There was a ring in the middle of the crowd made of chairs, tables, and garbage cans. In the center of the ring, crying and gnashing at one another were two small...he had to squint through the smoke to see...dragons! They were dragon fighting!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoops! Jounouchi has a dragon...now what.

"You bettin' tonight, kid?" someone asked below him. The guy was carrying something in his hands that he was collecting bets on.

"Nah," Jounouchi started, "Well, here." He jumped down from the chair and handed the guy a ten dollar bill. "The one everyone's betting for." 

"Great!" the guy grinned, shoving the cash into his inside coat pocket. "Meet over there when the match is over." He pointed to a pair of doors towards the back of the room that Jounouchi could just barely make out through the smoke and crowd. He nodded and the guy moved on the next person. 

Jounouchi had heard of dragon fighting but it was very rare. Hardly anyone in the slums would even afford a dragon and obtaining them illegally was almost impossible. Rich people usually have one or two as pets. Here--if there were any at all they were fought and you could make a lot of money off of them if you weren't caught that is. Some say if you are caught, you're put away for life. 

There were no sirens--the police were just suddenly there shutting the place down. Under the cover of smoke people were scattering. Without thinking, Jounouchi pushed towards the ring. Fuck the bet--he was going to take a dragon. The winning one was already snatched up but the other was trying to hide underneath a chair. Jounouchi scooped that one up and put him in his coat and made his escape through the fire doors and up to the roof of the building scaling flights of stairs as fast as he could. 

Once he was on the roof, he made a run for the next building and leapt from rooftop, they weren't very far apart, until he felt like he had gone far enough away. His legs and chest ached. Jounouchi sat down and leaned against the short wall. His heart was pounding, aside from running his anxiety was high. Surely he would get caught. Every distant siren had him on edge, reeling in fear. The dragon in his jacket stirred. Shit. FUCK. God damnit!! What the fuck was he thinking!? What was he going to do with a dragon!? What do they even eat? How big would it get!? 

"Fuck. FUCK." he cursed. Jounouchi had half a mind to leave it on the roof, unzipping his jacket and the dragon slid into his lap...but...now that he was getting a good look at this dragon he had a horrible realization: this dragon was bait for the other one. He was hurt badly and muzzled. Big blue eyes looked at him in fear and he was shaking. 

"Please, please just don't hurt me, okay?" Jounouchi slowly untied the rope muzzle and watched the little dragon open and close his mouth adjusting to his new freedom, be he didn't make a sound or try to bite Jounouchi. "Okay, I'm going to take you home with me, but you have to stay quiet okay?" 

The dragon stared at him. Jounouchi breathed and carefully tucked the little one back into his coat and made his way down the fire escape stairs into the alley. The only place to go now was home. 

The sun was peeking over the horizon, which to Jounouchi's luck meant that both of his parents would be on their way to work now. The apartment was dark and smelled of musty old alcohol. He gently placed the dragon in the empty bathtub while he gathered the medical kit from his room. He washed the little dragon as gently as he could and to his surprise he was a silvery-blue color and soft to the touch. After patting him dry, he applied ointments and bandages and let him rest on a towel while Jounouchi did the same for himself. He relaxed in the bath for a while, letting the hot water soak into his skin that he felt like he could never fully clean. It would always have a layer of alcohol or cigarette smell clinging to it. 

He watched the dragon sleep soundly on the bathroom floor. There was no mistaking that this dragon was one of Seto Kaiba's. He held the market for Blue Eyes Whites as they're called. There was nothing he could do with this dragon except take him back to Kaiba. Otherwise there would be no way he could keep this dragon comfortably. He'd always have to hide it no matter where he was. That was no way to keep a pet. Besides, he wasn't entirely sure how to take care of one and he didn't have the money for one, especially not if it got any bigger. 

The blond lifted himself out of the bathtub and tended to his wounds before going through the house room by room, cleaning out any nook and cranny for spare change or hidden money. He threw a couple of changes of clothes into the wash and scavenged the fridge for anything he could share with Blue--he started calling the dragon Blue. He moved the dragon to his bed where he sprawled out next to Blue and ripped pieces of jerky off for him to chew on. Jounouchi was exhausted and dozed off until the washer's alarm scared him awake. He threw the clothes in the dryer and decided to start packing his backpack with all of the mj he had in his room, which wasn't very much. He hadn't had enough money for his dealer lately. When he was done he laid halfway on his bed and stroked the little guy gently. He really was very soft. 

Finally the dryer was done and he put on fresh clothes and wrapped himself up in his warm coat, shoved the rest of his clothes into his backpack where he carefully placed Blue who fell back asleep pretty quickly. He must have been really exhausted. No telling what happened to him before that fight. 

He shut and locked the apartment behind him and immediately lit a cigarette on his way down the steps. His first mission was food and then he was going towards in the inner city where the famous Kaiba Corporation's headquarters was located. The blond couldn't help but to feel a little sad. He was starting to love little Blue, but this was best--for the dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba's either gonna kill him or kill him. I don't know which.

What would Jounouchi even say to the great Seto Kaiba? "Give me a new life please or you don't get this dragon"? Hell no. Either he would get arrested for having the dragon in the first place, and illegally, or for threatening Kaiba. He had time to think about it; it would take quite a bit of time before he would get there. He preferred to walk rather than take the train, it would save him some money.

The line between the inner city and the slums was not officially marked but everyone knew just by looking. Jounouchi felt more isolated the further into the richer part of town he went. He was not dressed in scraps, but he could feel judging eyes on him measuring him up for how much he was worth by how much money they could guess he had on him. He was not embarrassed, they were probably right. He was on a mission and would be in and out of their rich lives before they even knew it. 

By the time he reached Kaiba Corp it was late so he spent a little on a cheap hotel room and took advantage of any complementary snacks they had, but he was so tired that he got the dragon out of the bag and fell asleep on the bed, little Blue curling up next to him for his warmth. But really, Blue was the body heater and this was such a nice feeling. The blond was asleep instantly. 

The next morning, Jounouchi washed the sleep from his eyes and gently packed his dragon into his backpack and took a short walk to the front of Kaiba Corp. The headquarters was not very exciting; all the entertainment was located elsewhere. There were a couple of guards but mostly just office employees and at the front desk, Mokuba Kaiba. Jounouchi knew him from the commercials, he didn't have to read his nametag. He was a lot older looking than he remembered but then again Mokuba looked much younger than he actually was. He was about 17 or so, just a little younger than himself. 

"I need to see Seto Kaiba." 

"Okay," Mokuba pulled out a planner and flipped the pages until he found an opening. "He's booked for about three months. I can get you--" 

"I can't wait three months. I need to see him today." 

"I'm sorry, he's booked--" 

"You don't understand." Jounouchi said flatly. "Look." He put his backpack on the counter and unzipped it just enough that Mokuba could see the dragon and no one else. The blue eyes was stirring, excited. He must have recognized Mokuba. 

"Now I do." Mokuba called for someone to man his post and led Jounouchi up to a private office that he could tell was only used for important business. "I'll go get him. Stay put." 

The dragon squirmed more than ever, so he let him out of the bag and onto his lap and tried to calm him by petting him, which worked until Seto Kaiba threw open the door so hard Jounouchi was sure it had come off the hinges. He didn't have to turn around to know that Kaiba was furious. It was in the air, palpable. Mokuba took care to shut the door carefully behind him. 

"Who are you and why do you have my dragon?" Seto Kaiba had zero patience. His anger was seething through every pore on his skin. Jounouchi was surprised he wasn't screaming at him or otherwise had killed him right then and there for even touching his pride and joy. He guessed this was Kaiba's professional face--trying to keep it together with everything he had. 

Jounouchi was at a loss for words. All that he had rehearsed was gone. He tried to explain but tripped over his own tongue, "I--uh--he--" 

"Spit it out. I don't have time for any babbling, dog. Explain yourself. Now." Kaiba rested his fists on the desk between them, maybe as good measure to keep himself from strangling Jounouchi or maybe to use it as a weapon, he really could not tell the difference. It wouldn't be the first time he had ever had furniture thrown at him. 

"I found Blue at a dragon fight," he explained truthfully. "It was close to where I live. I took care of his wounds but I can't take care of a dragon so I'm bringing him back." Jounouchi felt a lump in his throat at the thought of giving Blue up. He hadn't known him long, but he was so cute and sweet. 

"How do I know YOU weren't fighting her? Or won her off of some piece of shit? How do you expect me to believe you, huh!?" 

"You don't." Jounouchi immediately regretted speaking. 

Kaiba wasn't looking for an answer. He flipped the desk and it hit the wall so hard that it made Mokuba scared and rigid in the corner. Jounouchi didn't move and Blue cowered into his coat. "What do you fucking want. They always want something!" 

"I was going to ask for money, but I honestly don't know what I want," Jounouchi was calm on the outside but he was very scared on the inside of what Kaiba really would do to him. 

"How much?" 

"I don't want your money." Jounouchi stood slowly and handed the dragon to Seto Kaiba. 

"Why go through all the trouble to see me then? You could have handed the dragon to the police," Kaiba was a little calmer now that he had the dragon. Just a little calmer. The blond didn't answer. "I can't let you go unpunished anyhow. You had a dragon without a license, were an accomplice to a dragon fight, and failed to inform the police of anything. Not only have you acted illegally--I can't trust you. You're completely suspicious. Mokuba, handcuff him." 

Before Jounouchi could object, he was knocked to the floor, his head hitting something on the way down and he was knocked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Kaiba Corp Jail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A LONG-ISH CHAPTER HURRAY!

Jounouchi woke up in a cell handcuffed to the steel bedpost. Seto Kaiba was sitting across the room in a chair against the wall, arms and legs crossed, waiting for him to wake up. "Good. You're awake."

"Well aren't you feeling better," Jounouchi was being sarcastic but there was some truth to it. "You were a little out of control back there. I bet Mokuba would vouch for me." 

Jounouchi could see a vein pop in Kaiba's temple, but Kaiba didn't give in to the other's taunting. "I am always in control. That was my dragon that ended up in your hands therefore I decide your punishment." 

Jounouchi threw his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, awkwardly, since the handcuffs didn't offer much slack. 

"I want you within my sight or Mokuba's and only doing what we tell you. Do you understand?" 

"Yeah, yeah I got you," Jounouchi complied. Had he been younger, he would have resisted authority, fought tooth and nail until the end. He was older and more mature, maybe not too mature but certainly more than he was as a delinquent kid. 

Besides, this situation could be worse. He could be on the streets of the slums again. At least here he had a clean bed. He was sure that if he was going to be within arm's reach of the Kaiba brothers, he would have to be clean and well fed...in case anyone saw them together. They had a reputation to keep after all. 

Had Jounouchi been younger--he would never thought two steps ahead. He would have figured Kaiba would leave him to rot in the cell. Then again--if anyone could get away with murder it would be Seto Kaiba. 

"Mokuba will fit you with proper attire. When you're not working--you're well dressed. I will not have a scrap dog anywhere near me." Points for house Jounouchi for being right on the money. Jounouchi nodded. "Good." 

Kaiba was unsettled at how easy this was going--but at the same time he was glad he didn't have to put up with resistance. He was a busy man and needed to get back to more important work. This boy was becoming a waste of his time--but he was his responsibility now. What a mess. 

Mokuba took Seto's place in the cell, removed the handcuffs, and took Jounouchi's measurements with a tape measure. Silent for the most part, focused. Talking only to give directions--take your shirt off, move your arms here, turn a bit there. Sometimes Jounouchi would hiss at even the feather touch across a bruise or cut. Mokuba was really trying not to touch him as much as possible, in awe at the other's torn-up body. What had he gone through? He wouldn't ask. It was none of his business. 

"So, what's your deal?" Mokuba asked. "This is too easy." 

"Why not?" Jounouchi replied. "Wouldn't it be worse to fight it?" 

"It's strange. It's like you want to be here. I don't get it." 

"It could be worse, kid." 

"If you say so. I don't know what Seto has planned for you but he's not known for being the nicest guy if you know what I mean." Mokuba took a last glance over Jounouchi's back and thought that the other probably knew worse than anything his brother would do to him. 

"Well, what's with you? Why are you being nice to me? I'm a criminal in your dear brother's eyes," Jounouchi slipped back into his shirt. 

Mokuba shifted awkwardly, thinking. "I just...I just have a feeling that you're not a bad guy." 

Jounouchi smiled, just slight enough for Mokuba to notice, "Thanks." 

It felt like days in the cell, but there was no way to truly tell what time it was, there were no windows or clocks on the walls. He was served breakfast and dinner and was allowed a shower each day, and that was the only way he could tell time. 

Jounouchi slept a lot, healing. The cuts on his face and body were barely scars and his bruises no longer pained him--they were just ugly colors on his skin at their final stages before disappearing completely. 

The cell for what it was worth was clean and if Jounouchi knew any better he'd say it was barely used. Perhaps never used before. White walls surrounded him, white tiled floor, and grey ceiling. The steel framed bed had a firm mattress and fluffed pillows, that was until he squashed them with excessive sleep. The blanket was spotless, but thin and left him cold at night. The toilet was clean as well and faintly smelled of bleach. Either the cell had never been used before, or Kaiba kept everything spotless. It really could be either. 

This place had to have been somewhere in the Kaiba Corp building. No jail looked this good and he would know. He had been to jail before. Not prison, which he assumed was worse in every way possible. 

Mokuba would come to his cell once a day after dinner was served to take him to the shower which was a room next to him. He would give Jounouchi a change of clothes and take his used ones. It was a small room with just a showerhead and a place to hang a towel, clean just like the cell. He never heard the shower running at any other time and assumed that he was the only one there. 

Needless to say Jounouchi didn't talk much. He exchanged small talk with Mokuba, if small talk was a nod and a "hey" sometimes. 

More than anything he experienced peace. He didn't have to worry about anything or anyone. Jounouchi would feel the itch for cigarettes and multiple times thought about asking Mokuba if he could have a smoke break--but he decided against it and would force himself to sleep off the craving. 

Jounouchi knew he would get sick of this before long and start craving more than just cigarettes. He'd start craving wanting to go outside and do something, anything--just crave freedom. He knew he would get bored to death. There was nothing in the cell. No reading material, no TV, no radio, nothing. Just white walls and silence to keep him company. 

For now, he was at peace. 

After breakfast, a little over a week later, Seto Kaiba appeared and tossed Jounouchi a bag that nearly knocked him over. "Get dressed." 

Inside the bag was underclothes, a thick-fabric jumpsuit, and heavy boots. Jounouchi threw them on and followed Kaiba a short ways down the hall to an elevator. They rode in awkward silence down the elevator to a mudroom where multiple copies of the same uniform were hanging on a rack next to long sinks that were across from shower stalls. Everything was muddy and dirty here. "This is the washroom. This is where you will clean up after you're done working. Don't you dare track mud into my building." Kaiba pointed to a large cabinet where a couple of employees were changing into clean shoes and putting their boots away. That was the only area that was clean compared to the rest of the building. 

They crossed the room and through a door that led them outside. Jounouchi's eyes burned at the brightness of the sun. The sky and the ground were equally as blinding. The air was cool, and smelled like cut grass and dirt. Jounouchi stretched his arms, arched his back, and took in the view and the cool breeze across his skin and through his hair. As long as he was still following behind Kaiba, Kaiba didn't care what the other was doing, but he couldn't help to roll his eyes a little. 

Across the wide dusty road they entered a very large building, one of many that were built next to each other in rows. This building looked more like a barn inside with stalls of varying sizes. Some were very large--big enough to hold a full grown elephant, equipped with ladders and large hoses that were labeled with different things like water and shampoo. The smaller ones were the same, only decreased in size. "This is the washroom for dragons. They are washed and groomed here." Kaiba explained. 

"Uh-huh," Jounouchi replied, mouth agape as his eyes traveled up to the very tall ceilings. 

Kaiba reached over and grabbed his jaw, closing his mouth with one hand. He pulled their faces close. "You are not to go near any of the dragons. Understood, dog?" 

Jounouchi nodded, stunned that the other even touched him. 

"Good." Kaiba let go if him and wiped his hand on his pants as if he touched something filthy. 

Jounouchi was offended but he didn't dare say anything. He just glared at Kaiba from behind his back and stuck his tongue out. 

The two exited this room and were outside again, crossing a similar road as before, and entered a building that from the outside looked the same but on the inside there were rows of stalls of all the same size, probably medium in size compared to the largest grooming stall in the other building. The ground was soft with dusty sand and the stalls were lined with hay. "This is where we house the dragons at night." That was Kaiba's last explanation as the two met up with Mokuba who was leaning against one of the stalls. 

"What took ya?" He laughed, tossing Jounouchi a decent pair of gloved. "C'mon--we need to get you to work." 

Seto Kaiba took the opportunity to escape. Why he chose to walk the other down himself instead of getting one of his lackeys or Mokuba to was beyond Jounouchi. 

Mokuba was dressed in a similar uniform. Surely this was not a job he did regularly, as Jounouchi knew he worked front desk--and maybe whatever else Kaiba wanted him to do. Jounouchi pulled on the gloves and followed Mokuba's lead. He was shown how to muck the stalls the Kaiba Corp way, where the tools were, etc. 

"I gotta ask. Where are we? Is this place in the middle of the city?" 

"Well, yeah," Mokuba laughed. "What a silly question." 

"How was I supposed to know? After I was knocked out a week ago, you two could have shipped me to god knows where." 

Mokuba was really laughing. "No, no. We didn't ship you off to anywhere. This is behind the KC building. It's a part of the largest protected dragon park in the world. On the opposite side of the park, there's safari tours and theme parks and stuff. They're pretty fun if you haven't been to them a million times like I have." 

"I've never been to any of the KC parks--well," Jounouchi thought for a moment. "When I was really little, my kid sister and I went to one. I really don't remember it though." 

"You have a sister? What's her name?" 

"Shizuka," he said, smiling. He hadn't thought about her in a long time. "She's about your age." 

Mokuba found something distant in Jounouchi's expression. "Oh yeah?" 

"My mom and my sister moved away when I was pretty young, too. I haven't talked to her in a while." 

"Do you want to?" Mokuba asked, almost too quietly. 

Jounouchi thought about it. "I don't think she would want to talk to me...not like this. Not in KC jail." There was a smile on his face like he was joking a little bit. 

Mokuba was not sure how to read him. "Hey. Just let me know if you want to, okay?" 

They worked in silence for a while, focusing on the job at hand. Mokuba finished a stall and stretched. "I haven't done this in so long I forgot how much work this is." 

"I was wondering why you were still here. I think I can handle it." 

"I have to keep an eye on you and it's boring to just stand around and do nothing. It's not a big deal." Mokuba shrugged off the top half of his uniform and tied it around his waist using the sleeved. His tank top was drenched in sweat, no doubt Jounouchi's would look the same. "If you get hot you can do this. Believe it or not, before Dragon Park got as big as it did, Seto and I were the ones mucking the stalls and grooming the big guys." 

Jounouchi strained to envision Seto Kaiba in a sweaty jumpsuit and it was very difficult--but if he looked anything like his younger brother--toned arms glistening in sweat, chest taut through the soaked tank top--well it wasn't a bad thing to picture. 

Mokuba waved an arm in front of Jounouchi's line of sight. "Earth to Katsuya." 

"I can't picture it." 

"You were picturing something." Mokuba chuckled. 

Jounouchi didn't comment. 

More time passed with work to keep them busy, but finally they were done. Jounouchi and Mokuba took the same way back to the human washroom and cleaned up, hanging their uniforms on racks that were labeled with numbers. Jounouchi slipped on the clean shoes and followed Mokuba back to his cell. 

He wanted so badly to ask for a cigarette, but work curbed his craving. Even more than that he wanted to ask about baby Blue. Jounouchi thought that might not be a good thing for a "dragon thief" to ask about. Surely Blue was fine. Blue was in the best care KC could provide after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mighty fine predicament for the Kaiba brothers and a stray dog named jounouchi.

Every day was relatively the same as the first, although Mokuba wasn't always there and in his place someone else to watch him. Those days were boring. They didn't want to talk to him, wanted nothing to do with him really. Whatever.  
It was much easier to keep track of the days now, although Jounouchi had lost track a while ago just how long he'd really been there. If he had to guess--he'd probably been there about a month. Maybe a little more.

"Hey, Katsuya, wake up," Mokuba called into the cell early one morning. Earlier than breakfast time. 

"You're a little early, kid," he responded, wiping the sleep from his eyes and sitting up. 

"That's okay. Here, put these on." 

The clothes that Mokuba tossed him were the exact opposite of his work uniform: slacks, button-up shirt, underclothes, and nice shoes. He pulled them on quickly enough, finding them a little tight over the little bit of muscle he had formed with all the work he had been doing. 

Once he was dressed he followed Mokuba to Seto's personal office--a cloud of gloom shadowed over him. Oh no. What had he done? Mokuba's cheerful attitude was contrary to the dread that was setting in. 

Mokuba opened the double doors to reveal a minimalist room with a desk, Kaiba's chair, and two simple chairs that were on the opposite side of the desk. Seto Kaiba who had been looking out of his large windows, turned and stood in front of rather than sit in his large chair. "Katsuya, Jounouchi," he began. 

Jounouchi swallowed louder than he expected, he was sure both of them could hear him. 

Regardless, Kaiba opened a manila folder that had been on the desk. In it were mug shots of two guys, thugs they looked like. "Do you know who these people are?" 

"Honestly, no." Where was he going with this? Jounouchi felt cold. 

"The police have captured and confirmed these two to be the dragon fighters you saw that night," Kaiba explained. Jounouchi's silence perturbed him. "You're innocent. Your alibi is valid and you rescued my dragon." 

Jounouchi was still silent. Now he knew where this was heading. Mokuba was watching him with curiosity. 

Seto Kaiba pulled a neatly folded check out of his shirt pocket and set it on the desk before him, sliding it across to the blond. "Here's your pay for the month and a half that you've been here." 

Jounouchi took the check with unsteady hands and opened it. The amount on it had him nearly fainting. 

Kaiba was becoming more perturbed, "What? Do you want me to outright say it? You're free to go. It was my mistake to have detained you so I'm paying you for the work you did." 

"Katsuya, what's wrong?" Mokuba asked finally. 

Jounouchi bowed low and said with shaking words, "T-thank you. I-- Kaiba--please. I'll do anything. Let me work for you. P-please!" 

Wow. Jounouchi couldn't believe what he was sputtering. In fact, neither Seto nor Mokuba could believe the words that just came out of his mouth. Was he that desperate to not end up back on the streets? To be frank, yes. Yes, he was. This month and a half--while it had been extremely difficult and very restrictive and not something he'd want to do for the rest of his life--had been very comfortable compared to how he'd been living. 

At least if he could work here, he'd make enough to rent a place. The money on the check was proof of that. 

Seto and Mokuba looked at each other, wordless. Finally, Mokuba spoke, "Well, I have been begging for an assistant." 

"Mokuba, we have policies, and--" 

"Big brother--" Mokuba whined, "What if he submits an application and passes the drug and background check?" 

The drug check would be easy to pass. He'd been off of them for long enough. He wasn't a felon. Minor offenses wouldn't show up--he hoped they wouldn't at least. 

Seto let out a long sigh, "Fine." 

Jounouchi lifted his head, eyes almost sparkling, "Thank you--thank you!" 

"You really are a mutt. I fed you and now you won't leave." Seto groaned. 

Mokuba cheered and pulled the application from a folder that Jounouchi only now noticed he had been carrying. Seto shook his head and partially rolled his eyes. If anyone could get him to do anything it would be his brother. And his brother just manipulated him into giving this dog off the streets a chance to work at Kaiba Corp. 

Jounouchi didn't waste any time in filling out the application and handing it back to Mokuba who filed it neatly in the folder and placed it on his desk. "If I'm still up to date on the hiring policies," Mokuba began--wearing a cheeky smile, "then Katsuya, Jounouchi is hired." 

Seto flipped open the folder and saw a clean background check report sitting right on top of his application. "What? How? When did you?" 

"I just had this feeling that it would come to this when you told me last week what the police reports were finding--so I went ahead and requested it. The application is checked that he consented to one--and if you want to be really picky--" 

"Stop, stop." Seto Kaiba glared at Mokuba. "He's not hired until I get a drug test--that's policy." 

"But we both know he was here for a month--he'd be clean--" 

"That's precisely the point, Mokuba. We don't know what he'll do now that he won't be under our control." 

"That's what random drug tests are for, right?" Mokuba was still confident, but with Kaiba's ever growing irritation, he was backing off. 

"You're right," Kaiba turned to Jounouchi. "And you bet your ass is gone if any of those comes back negative. No amount of begging will save you then." 

Kaiba didn't call him a dog this time, but Jounouchi felt like a kicked puppy, nodding furiously, not wanting to do or say anything that would change the other's mind. 

"Both of you get out." 

Mokuba and Jounouchi didn't waste a second escaping Kaiba's fury. They ran down the hall to the elevator and once they were safe inside burst into awkward laughter. Jounouchi was shaking a little. Mokuba, who was used to his brother's mood swings was a little shaken up as well. He really thought Seto was going to bite his head off there. 

"Okay, okay--while he cools off, go to the clinic and get a drug test. Tell them it's for KC it'll be free," Mokuba instructed once they were on the first floor. "Also, here's your wallet." 

"Thank you, Mokuba!" Jounouchi hugged him like a bear and ruffled his hair before taking off through the front doors. 

The first thing Jounouchi did was opened a bank account and deposited that fantastic check of his. Second, he bought a pack of cigarettes and a nice big breakfast. Third, he took care of the drug test. 

Now what? Now that he was free and had money he decided to explore the city for a while. 

\--- Around noon Seto Kaiba summoned Mokuba to the roof of the sky scraper. This was their usual place to talk in private. Seto was overlooking the city lining with arms crossed. "Is this about Katsuya?" Mokuba asked, meekly, he could feel that his brother was upset. 

"Not entirely," Seto began. "You made a fool of me back there. You'd better have a good reason." 

"I'm sorry, big brother," Mokuba felt his heart breaking. A simple apology wasn't going to cut it. Seto wanted an explanation. Mokuba hated for his brother to be upset with him. "I was afraid you wouldn't give him a chance." 

"I probably wouldn't have. I really shouldn't." He said, "I already held him against his will and he was innocent--how do you think I feel about that?" 

"That's not your fault, Seto!" Mokuba pleaded. "I know you've been upset about the dragon disappearances. We didn't know!" 

"Here's the thing, Mokuba, he may have been innocent in this case, but we don't know him. We don't know what he will do, where he will go, and what he would do with our dragons." 

"I won't let him near any dragons, brother. I wasn't planning for him to be anyway--I've got storerooms full of paperwork that needs to be filed. Something simple like that anyone can do--he won't be around the dragons at all." 

Seto breathed and relaxed his shoulders, "Okay. That's fine. However that doesn't really explain why YOU did what you did." 

"I trust him. I've spent a lot of time with him. He genuinely just seems like a good guy." 

"Good enough to walk all over your own brother?" Each word felt like ice daggers in Mokuba's chest. 

"That... was not my intention...," Mokuba's words were barely a squeak from his lips. Big tears welled up in his eyes. He felt small, like a young child. 

Seto shook his head and embraced his brother, which felt warm to Mokuba, but Seto's words were still cold, "Don't do that again." It sent chills down his spine. 

"I won't. I'm sorry." He was clinging to his brother, afraid to let go and look him in the eyes. He didn't want him to be mad anymore. 

"Mokuba," Seto sighed. "Calm down. I forgive you." 

"Seto, can I ask you something?" 

"Depends." 

"Don't hate me?" 

"On with it." 

Mokuba pulled out of his arms and shifted on his feet nervously. "Is there any possible way you would consider renting out an apartment to Katsuya?" 

Seto really had to strain not to just outright burst into an angry flame hotter than the sun. "Not any way in hell. I don't suppose you've gone through the hoops already and have all of that paperwork ready?" 

"No, I don't have any of that. I actually just thought of it." 

"Just thought of it?" Seto was unconvinced, crossing his arms again. 

The younger brother was thinking of how to explain this to him. "Hear me out, okay?" Seto was hesitant, but nodded. "When I was running the background check, I did one of my own. I let curiosity get the better of me. Katsuya didn't talk about it much but some of the things he said concerned me so--" 

"Okay, I'm listening but you've got to get on with it." 

"Remember those bruises and cuts on him when he came to us?" Seto nodded. They were hard to forget, honestly. "I don't think he got those on the street. I don't think he should go home." 

Now Seto was curious, "What makes you think that?" 

"His father has been arrested multiple times for domestic abuse," Mokuba stated. "That was as far as I got, but some of the charges have been considerably recent." 

"Mokuba, you're a kind enough person to consider people as you do, but if I helped every lost and abused puppy on the streets it would never end." 

"Seto, I know--but what if he were my puppy?" 

"What? What are you saying?" Seto Kaiba was shocked. It was written all over his face. 

"I'm saying he's my friend--well...I consider him my friend, anyway." Mokuba was very confused by his brother's reaction. 

Seto let out a sigh of relief. He thought his brother was implying something completely different. "Let me think on this. I'll get back to you by the end of the day." 

Mokuba was inwardly pleased with how his own charm was able to convince his brother for the most part, but he dare not show it--the answer was still a maybe at this stage and he didn't want to ruin it. "Okay," he said simply and after a moment to breathe, he returned to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mokuba is really walking the tightrope with Seto isn't he? How could Seto say no to that cute face huh???
> 
> ___  
> I was sick all last week unfortunately. That's why I'm posting so late. I'm better now and hopefully I can get another chapter out this week to make up for lost time. :3


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